Bag fastener

ABSTRACT

A fastening element has a pear-shaped body portion with a horn projecting laterally from the upper end thereof. A cord with spaced compressible beads thereon is attached to the outer end of the horn. A groove is formed in the body portion of the fastening element extending from a location immediately below the horn to the bottom of the body portion. The sides of the groove converge from the upper end of the body to the lower end thereof and the walls also converge inwardly, and the groove is narrow enough at said lower end to releasably secure the end of the beaded cord in the groove while a loop at the upper portion of the cord is wrapped around the neck of a bag to releasably close the same.

[ 51 Dec. 30, 1975 United States Patent [1 1 Schmoller BAG FASTENER Primary Examiner-Paul R. Gilliam 76 Inventor: Robert Schm 1016 1 Assistant Examiner-Doris L. Troutman 1 Drive Waukesh: v 36 Attorney, Agent, or FirmArthur L. Morsell, Jr.

Mar. 11, 1974 [57] ABSTRACT A fastening element has a pear-shaped body portion with a horn projecting laterally from the upper end thereof. A cord with spaced compressible beads thereon is attached to the outer end of the horn. A

[22] Filed:

21 Appl. No.: 449,890

groove is formed in the body portion of the fastening element extending from a location immediately below the horn to the bottom of the body portion. The sides of the groove converge from the upper end of the 707 101 My 26% mew u e 0,4 7 m 2Dm .5 B" .c U .e us L2..I C WM Umm 1]] 2 00 555 [ll References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS body to the lower end thereof and the walls also con- 24/2O6 A verge inwardly, and the groove is narrow enough at 24 20 A said lower end to releasably secure the end of the 24/305 P beaded cord in the groove while a loop at the upper Moberg........ 24/305 P portion of the cord is wrapped around the neck of a bag to releasably close the same.

281,704 2,545,428 Liautaud..... 3,072,986 l/l963 Lefnaer 3,467,427 9/1969 10 Claims, 4 DrawingFigures US, Patent Dec. 30, 1975 BAG FASTENER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION I-Ieretofore it has been the practice to close the end of bread bags and other bags with awire twist band, but twist bands sometimes get tangled and are hard to open, and also tend to break off in time. Accordingly, the principal object of this invention is to provide an improved bag fastener which is free of these drawbacks. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the description which follows. The invention is particularly useful with household bags but is useful with other types of bags, including bags of larger size.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A fastening element has a body portion with a horn projecting laterally from the upper end of the body portion. An elongated flexible member is attached at one end to the outer end of the horn. A groove'is formed in the body portion of the fastening element extending from a location immediately below the horn to the lower end of the body portion. The elongated flexible member includes means cooperating with the groove for removably securing a portion of the flexible member to the body portion of the fastening element while the upper portion of the flexible member is in the form of a loop which is wrapped around the neck of a bag to releasably close the same.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the fastening element and beaded chain with the chain wrapped around the neck of a bag and being engaged with a tapered groove in the fastening element.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the fastening element shown in FIG. 1 with a beaded chain attached thereto for releasably closing the neck of a bag, part of the chain being broken away.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the lower portion of the fastening element shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with the beaded chain releasably secured in the groove in the fastening element.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary detail view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The preferred embodiment of the invention includes a fastening element in the form of a pear-shaped body portion 12 with a horn 14 that projects laterally from the top of body portion 12. Horn 14 and body portion 12 are preferably integrally molded from a suitable plastic such as nylon or the like and may be weighted with a metal slug (not shown) to permit the fastening element to be slung around the neck of a bag, as will be described hereinafter. A ring 16 passes through an opening 18 in the outer end of horn 14 and engages a ring 20 which is attached to the end of an elongated flexible member or beaded chain or cord 22. The beaded cord 22 is preferably made of a suitable plastic such as nylon or the like and includes beads 26 separated by links 24 which are formed by the intervening portions of the cord. The beads 26 are preferably integral with links 24 so that the cord 22 can be locked in place when the sides of one or more of the beads 26 are gripped, said beads being shaped and dimensioned 2 to fit snugly between two gripping surfaces as is described hereinafter. A tapered finger grip 28 is attached to the end of beaded cord 22 for use in manipulating the cord to lock it in place or to release it as described hereinafter.

A locking groove 30 having inwardly-converging side walls 32 and 34 (see FIG. 4) and a bottom 36 is formed in body portion 12 of fastening element 10. As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the groove 30 is tapered in two dimensions: (1) the side walls 32 and 34 slope toward the bottom 36 as shown in FIG. 4, and (2) the side walls 32 and 34 converge toward each other from the upper to the lower end of the fastening element 10. The latter taper is shown in FIG. 3. At the lowermost end of the groove 30, the distance between the side walls 32 and 34 is less than the diameter of the beads 26 so that one of the beads 26 may be abutted against the lower end of the fastening element as shown in FIG. 3. This locks the beaded cord 22 in place as described hereinafter.

As best shown in FIG. 1, the groove 30 extends from a location immediately below horn 14 to the bottom of fastening element 12 and follows a somewhat spiral path which is skewed with respect to the centerline of fastening element 12. The location of the groove 30 immediately below horn 14 is important because it permits the horn 14 to rest on beaded cord 22 when the cord 22 is wrapped around the neck of the bag as shown in FIG. 1.

As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the beads 26 are preferably mushroom-shaped with the stem 38 of the mushroom being oriented toward fastening element 10. The bottom of the groove at the lowermost end thereof is shaped and dimensioned to wedgingly receive stem portion 38 of the adjacent bead 26 as shown in FIG. 4, but is too small to admit the crown of bead 26. This provides a snug lock for the beaded cord 22. The sloping side walls 32 and 34 are spaced apart sufficiently at the face of the fastening element (see FIG. I or 2) to admit the beads 26 which are above the bottom of the fastening element so that said upper beads 26 can be wedged between side walls 32 and 34 to enhance the locking action obtained by the bead 26 which is abutted against the lower end of groove 30. This locking action can be released by tugging the end of the beaded cord 22 in an upward direction to disengage the beads 26 from the side walls 32 and 34 of groove 30.

In the use of the above-described bag fastener, the beaded cord 22 is wrapped around the neck of a bag 40 (see FIG. I) and is then passed under horn l4 and downwardly in the groove 30 where it is wedged into place as described above. The beaded cord 22 can be tossed around the neck of bag 40 with one hand while the bag 40 is held with the other hand. To accomplish this, the neck of bag 40 is held! in a horizontal position with one hand and the cord 22 is held in the center of its length with the other hand while the fastening element 10 is swung toward the bag so that it loops around the neck of bag 40, carrying the beaded cord 22 with it. This causes the free end of beaded cord 22 to automatically engage under horn 14 when the fastening element 10 comes to rest, and the end of beaded cord 22 can then be easily inserted into groove 30 and locked in place by a single hand movement. Thereafter the cord 22 is pulled downwardly from the position of FIG. 1 until one of the beads snaps just beneath the lower end of the groove to the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, with the stem 38 snugly fitting the bottom of the groove as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The: next bead 26 above will be wedged in the wider portion of the groove between the sides 32 and 34 as shown in FIG. 3, and the beads thereabove will be progressively deeper in the groove because of the gradual widening toward the top of the body portion. In this manner, the bag fastener of this invention can be quickly and easily fastened in place around the neck of the bag by two short hand movements, thereby eliminating the laborious twisting that was heretofore required with twist bands. In addition, the bag fastener of this invention can be easily released by a simple pull on beaded cord 22 to release the beads 26 from the groove 30. In releasing, the left hand can be gripping the handle 41 and the right hand can pull on the cord 22.

Various modifications may be made in the abovedescribed structure without departing from the spirit of this invention, which includes all modifications falling within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A bag fastener comprising a fastening element with a main body portion having a longitudinal axis and having upper and lower ends and having a horn portion projecting laterally outwardly and transversely of the longitudinal axis of the body portion, said horn portion having a projecting end, an elongated flexible member attached to the projecting end of said horn portion, engaging means on said body portion extending from said horn to the lower end of the body, and means on said flexible member cooperating with said engaging means for releasably securing a part of the flexible member to said body portion while a portion of the length of the flexible member which is between the horn and body portion is looped around the neck of the bag, said horn forming an angle with the body portion adjacent said engaging means and being positioned to cause self-engagement of the flexible member with the engaging means when the fastening element is swung around the neck of a bag.

2. A bag fastener as claimed in claim 1 in which the main body portion is pear-shaped, and in which the horn portion projects from the smaller upper end of said pear-shaped body portion.

3. A bag fastener as claimed in claim 1 in which the engaging means on the body portion is a surface groove extending from a location immediately below the angular juncture of said horn portion with said body portion and extending toward the lower end of said body portion, with the side of the groove being open throughout its length.

4. A bag fastener as claimed in claim 2 in which the engaging means on the pear-shaped body portion is a surface groove extending from a location immediately below the angular juncture of said horn with said pearshaped body portion and extending to the lower end of said pear-shaped body portion, with the side of the groove being open throughout its length.

5. A bag fastener as claimed in claim 4 in which the upper end of the surface groove is on one side of the longitudinal axis of the pear-shaped body portion, and in which the lower end of the groove is on the other side of said longitudinal axis.

6. A bag fastener as claimed in claim 5 in which said groove extends in a curved path.

7. A bag fastener as claimed in claim 3 in which said elongated flexible member is a beaded cord, and wherein portions of said groove on the upper portion of the body portion are wide enough to receive beads of said cord when inserted laterally with respect to the groove, and wherein the groove narrows toward the lower end of the body to such limited size as to prevent a bead below the lower end of the body from entering the groove.

8. A bag fastener as claimed in claim 7 wherein at least some of the axially-spaced beads have a stem and a crown portion, and wherein the lower end of said groove is shaped to wedgingly receive the stern of a bead therebelow while preventing the entrance of said crown portion.

9. A bag fastener as claimed in claim 2 wherein said engaging means on the body is a surface groove extending from a location immediately below the juncture of the horn portion with said pear-shaped body portion and extending to the lower end of the body portion, with the side of the groove being open throughout its length, and wherein said groove extends in a curved path and is skewed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body portion.

10. A bag fastener as claimed in claim 3 wherein the side walls of said groove converge inwardly, and wherein the distance between the side walls decreases toward the lower end of said groove, and wherein the means for releasably securing the elongated flexible member includes axially spaced bead elements thereon, said bead elements being dimensioned to cooperate with said groove in releasably locking the elongated flexible member to said body portion. 

1. A bag fastener comprising a fastening element with a main body portion having a longitudinal axis and having upper and lower ends and having a horn portion projecting laterally outwardly and transversely of the longitudinal axis of the body portion, said horn portion having a projecting end, an elongated flexible member attached to the projecting end of said horn portion, engaging means on said body portion extending from said horn to the lower end of the body, and means on said flexible member cooperating with said engaging means for releasably securing a part of the flexible member to said body portion while a portion of the length of the flexible member which is between the horn and body portion is looped around the neck of the bag, said horn forming an angle with the body portion adjacent said engaging means and being positioned to cause self-engagement of the flexible member with the engaging means when the fastening element is swung around the neck of a bag.
 2. A bag fastener as claimed in claim 1 in which the main body portion is pear-shaped, and in which the horn portion projects from the smaller upper end of said pear-shaped body portion.
 3. A bag fastener as claimed in claim 1 in which the engaging means on the body portion is a surface groove extending from a location immediately below the angular juncture of said horn portion with said body portion and extending toward the lower end of said body portion, with the side of the groove being open throughout its length.
 4. A bag fastener as claimed in claim 2 in which the engaging means on the pear-shaped body portion is a surface groove extending from a location immediately below the angular juncture of said horn with said pear-shaped body portion and extending to the lower end of said pear-shaped body portion, with the side of the groove being open throughout its length.
 5. A bag fastener as claimed in claim 4 in which the upper end of the surface groove is on one side of the longitudinal axis of the pear-shaped body portion, and in which the lower end of the groove is on the other side of said longitudinal axis.
 6. A bag fastener as claimed in claim 5 in which said groove extends in a curved path.
 7. A bag fastener as claimed in claim 3 in which said elongated flexible member is a beaded cord, and wherein portions of said groove on the upper portion of the body portion are wide enough to receive beads of said cord when inserted laterally with respect to the groove, and wherein the groove narrows toward the lower end of the body to such limited size as to prevent a bead below the lower end of the body from entering the groove.
 8. A bag fastener as claimed in claim 7 wherein at least some of the axially-spaced beads have a stem and a crown portion, and wherein the lower end of said groove is shaped to wedgingly receive the stem of a bead therebelow while preventing the entrance of said crown portion.
 9. A bag fastener as claimed in claim 2 wherein said engaging means on the body is a surface groove extending from a location immediately below the juncture of the horn portion with said pear-shaped body portion and extending to the lower end of the body portion, with the side of the groove being open throughout its length, and wherein said groove extends in a curved path and is skewed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body portion.
 10. A bag fastener as claimed in claim 3 wherein the side walls of said groove converge inwardly, and wherein the distance between the side walls decreases toward the lower end of said groove, and wherein the means for releasably securing the elongated flexible member includes axially spaced bead elements thereon, said bead elements being dimensioned to cooperate with said groove in releasably locking the elongated flexible member to said body portion. 